U.S. May Allow Apple to Buy Chinese Memory Chips for China Market

Apple is testing memory chips from Chinese supplier ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for potential use in iPhones and MacBooks sold in China, as an artificial-intelligence-driven shortage tightens global supplies, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. Apple has also held discussions involving Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), a Chinese NAND producer. The reported plan has not become a commercial supply agreement. More importantly, the latest U.S. position differs from the supplied headline: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Aug. 14 that the Trump administration opposes Apple buying Chinese memory and had communicated that position directly to the company. Apple’s testing and lobbying efforts began earlier as memory prices surged and traditional suppliers prioritized AI-related demand. Bipartisan senators separately urged Apple to reject CXMT and YMTC. The companies face U.S. scrutiny because of their Chinese government and military-related designations. Apple, CXMT and YMTC have not publicly confirmed a deal.